Tube expander



Sept. 24, 1940. F. YOCHEM El AL TUBE EXPANDER Filed March 13, 1939 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR. FRANK YocHEn (UREA/(E E. BOD/NE a? (5&4) TTORNEY.

YOCHEM ET AL' TUBE EXPANDER Filed March 13, 1939 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Fig.2

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1 OR. FPANA mumtanmlce D/NE ATTORNEY.

Patented Sept. 24, 1940 UNITED. STATES TUBE EXPANDER Frank Yochem, St. Louis, and Clarence E. Bodine,

. Sedalia, M0.

7 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in devices for expanding boiler tubes.

It is an object of this invention to provide an improved device of this type, which will safely and efliciently expand, roll, and bell boiler tubes.

Many devices used for this purpose are driven out of the tubes and injury to workers from flying parts is not uncommon. It is an object of this invention to provide a device which may be safely removed from the tubes after the expanding operation is completed.

The use of the device provided by this invention in the manner described, expands the tube in the tube sheets insuch a manner as to prevent longitudinal movement of the tube.

With this device, it is possible to expand, roll, and bell a number of tubes without changing the position of the driving motor and thus considerably reduce the work and time required to roll the tubes of a boiler.

Further objects and advantages will appear from the following detailed description and accompanying drawings. I v

For the purposes of illustration, I will now describe one form of the device which I have found to operate satisfactorily.

Fig. 1 is a longitudinal sectional View of one form of my device as applied to a locomotive.

Fig. 2 is a side view of the expanding rollers and cooperating cage employed with my device.

Fig. 3 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of the rollers and cage in position in a boiler tube.

Fig. 4 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view. of the rollers in position in a boiler tube arranged to show in detail the mandrel and its connection to the driving tube.

Throughout all the drawings, the same reference numerals are used to denote similar parts.

In the drawings, H indicates generally, a loco-- motive provided with a firebox l3,.back tube sheet I5, and front tube sheet ll. I9 is a tube or flue, 2| the smoke box and 23 the stack. It is understood, of course, that for purposes of illustration, only one tube I9 is shownalthough there are, of course, many more.

25 is the crown sheet and 21 the boiler shell. 29 is an air motor supported from the front of the locomotive 3| by a bracket 33 and adjustable hanger 35. I

The expander roller assembly 31 is shown in detail in Figs. 2 and 3. Rollers 39 are positioned in a cage 4|. The cage is designed to position the rollers at a slight angle 9 to the axis of the bore 43. The rollers may be held loosely in the cage by pins 45 which project into recesses 41 at a rivet 66.

Application March 13, 1939, Serial No. 261,432

(o1; 1'5s s1) one end of the rollers. A bushing 49 is threaded into "the cage 4| and an annular flanged member 5| is carried by the cage. A tapered mandrel 53 is inserted through the bore 43 of the bushing and in between the rollers. Ihave found that the number of rollers used seriously affects the operation of the device and that an odd number of rollers and more particularly five, should be used to produce the best results.

A strip of copper 55 may be inserted between thetube I9 and sheet [5 if desired. One end of the mandrel is provided with asquare end 59 which maybe inserted into a cooperating recess 6| in a coupling 63. The coupling 63 is secured to a tube or rod 65 in anysuitable manner as by The tube 65 is-supported in the tube H! by washers 61. The other end of the tube 55 is coupled to the driving motor 29 by coupling 68 and'shaft 69.

Inorder to expandjthe tubes in one sheet of a boiler, the driving motor 29 is mounted at the opposite end thereof and connected to the drive tube 65 by the proper'couplings and drive shafts.

The mandrel 53 and roller assembly 3'! are then inserted in the end of the tube-so that the square end of the mandrel will fit into the coupling 59. The drive motor is then started in the proper direction to cause the inclination of the rollers to pull the mandrel in. As the mandrel moves in, the rollerswill be pressed farther and farther apart and the rolls will expand, bell, and roll the tube as shown in Fig. 3. The sloping portion 16 V of the roller will flare the tube at the outer end,

while the portion 12 will form a. bead or recess on the inside of the tube sheet. The straight surface 13 will roll the tube tightly in the tube sheet. The beads formed by these rollers will hold the tube-so that it cannot move longitudinally in the tube sheet. produces a gradual slope from the beaded portion to the unexpandedportion of the tubes. This slope prevents an abrupt offset in the tube which would weaken it considerably. An abrupt offset mayreduce the life of a tube as much as 30%; After the tube is properly expanded, the rotation of the driving motor is reversed to release the roller assembly in the tube. Such a method of A sloping portion I4 of the roller removing the roller possesses distinct safety fea- I motor is supported at the opposite end of the boiler.

It is not necessary to move the driving motor after each expanding operation. The drive tube is merely shifted to the next tube. Since these driving motors are extremely large and require several men to move them, this advantage is readily appreciated. After all the tubes are rolled at the ends opposite the driving motor, the near ends may be rolled without moving the driving motor by inserting the rollers and cage and driving the mandrel directly from the shaft 69 Thus both ends of a large number of tubes may be rolled with this device without changing the position of the driving motor,

By use of the device of this invention, it is pos sible to considerably reduce the time required for expanding the tubes of a boiler, since expanding, rolling, and belling are completed in one operation without setting up the driving motor for each tube. The particular roller assembly forms a bead which secures the tubes against any longitudinal movement and provides a, more durably expanding job. This device makes it possible to remove the expander without endangering life or limb of the workers, and yet the device is itself more efiecti ve than previous devices not possessing these advantages.

While we have described and'illustrated one form of device embodying our invention and one method of using the same, it is understood that various modifications,- substitutions, omissions, and additions will appear to those skilled in the art and we do not wish to limit ourselves by the above description anddrawings but define our in vention by the appended claims.

We claim:

1. A boiler tube expanding device comprising a driving motor supported at one end of a boiler,

( a roller cage assembly provided with a mandrel and cooperating rollers and adapted to be inserted in the boiler tubes at the opposite end of the boiler, means extending through the boiler tube being rolled to connect the driving motor with the mandrel of the roller cage assembly.

2. A boiler tube expanding device comprising a driving motor supported at one end of a boiler, a roller cage assembly adapted to be inserted in the ends of the boiler tubes opposite the driving motor, said roller cage assembly comprising a cage provided with recesses at an angle to the axis of the tube being rolled, rollers positioned the recesses and a tapered mandrel encircled by the rollers, means extending through the tube being rolled to connect the driving motor with the mandrel for rotation thereof.

3. A boiler tube expanding device: comprising a driving motor supported at one end of. a boiler,

a roller cage assembly adapted to be inserted in the ends of the boiler tubes opposite the driving motor, said roller cage assembly comprising a cage provided with five recesses at an angle to the axis of the tube being rolled, rollers positioned in the recesses and a tapered mandrel encircled by the rollers, means extending through the tube being rolled to connect the driving motor with the mandrel for rotation thereof.

4. In a boiler tube expanding device, a driving motor supported at one end of a boiler, a roller cage assembly adapted to be inserted in the tubes at the opposite end of the boiler comprising a cage provided with a plurality of recesses, rollers positioned in the recesses and a tapered mandrel encircled by the rollers, the recesses being inclined to the axis of the cage to cause the rollers to cooperate with the mandrel taper to draw the mandrel into the tube and press the rollers apart when it" is rotated in one direction and to loosen the. mandrel when it is rotated in the opposite direction, and means extending from the driving motor to the mandrel within the tube being rolled to rotate the mandrel.

5. In a boiler tube expanding device, a driving motor supported at one end of a boiler, a roller cage assembly adapted to be inserted in the tubes at the opposite end of the boiler comprising a cage provided with five recesses, rollers positioned in the recesses and a tapered mandrel encircled by the rollers, the recesses being inclined to the axis of the cage to cause the rollers to cooperate with the mandrel taper to draw the mandrel into the tube and press. the rollers apart when it is rotated in one direction and to loosen the mandrel when it is rotated in the opposite direction, and means extending from the driving motor to the" mandrel within the tube being rolled to rotate the mandrel.

6. In a boiler tube expanding device a driving motor supported at one end of a boiler, an expander assembly adapted to be inserted in the tube. at the opposite end of the boiler comprising an odd number of rollers, a member positioning the rollers around the inner periphery of the boiler tube at an inclinationto the axis of the boiler tube, a tapered mandrel encircled by the rollers and. arranged to cooperate with the inclined rollers to cause the mandrel to be drawn into the boiled tube. and press the rollers apart when rotated in one direction and to be loosened when rotated in the opposite direction and means for driving the mandrel to extend from the driving motor through the. tube being rolled to the mandrel.

7. A boiler tube expanding device comprising a driving motor supported at one end of a boiler, an extension shaft connected with said driving motor, a roller cage assembly provided with a mandrel and cooperating rollers and adapted to be inserted ineither end. of the tubes of the boiler, means to connect the extensionshaft to the mandrel when inserted in the. end oi a boiler tube adjacent the driving motor'and a connecting shaft extending through the boiler tube being rolled to drive the mandrel when inserted in the end of the boiler tube opposite the driving motor.

FRANK YOCHEM.

CLARENCE E. BODINE.

on no 

